A James City County family was the victim of an abduction and carjacking that began in the parking lot of the Kingsmill Shops in York County on Monday, April 7. (WAVY/Walter Hildebrand)

YORK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) – A woman and her two young children endured a frightening ordeal in York County Monday.

They had just walked back to their car after having lunch at The Wine and Cheese Shop in the Kingsmill Shops, when a man approached and asked for money. The woman told him she didn’t have any and that’s when he pulled out a gun and ordered the woman to drive him to an ATM to take out some cash.

According to the York County-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, the woman was forced to drive the suspect to a nearby ATM, but it was out of service. A good Samaritan noticed something wasn’t right and called 911.

In the meantime, the victim drove to another ATM across the street, but when the suspect heard sirens approaching, he ordered her to drive to the area of Parchment Boulevard and Merrimac Trail. The suspect got out of the car at that location, but first stole the victim’s cell phone and looked at her driver’s license, according to investigators. He threatened to harm her if she reported the crime.

Debbie Kahle is one of the managers of the Wine and Cheese Shop. She wasn’t working on Monday, but heard about the abduction from her coworkers. She was shocked to learn it happened unnoticed in their parking lot.

Kahle said investigators did come by the shop to ask employees questions.

Deputies investigated and were led to Christopher Junior Thompson, 23, of Newport News. He has been charged with abduction, grand larceny, attempted robbery, carjacking, wearing a mask in public, credit card theft, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and preventing a victim from making a 911 call.